Choosing appropriate singing material: Finding new songs to sing can be overwhelming. You have so many choices, but how do you know what works for you? The clues are in Chapter 16. The lists there offer suggestions on what to look for and what to avoid when choosing songs. Whether you want a song to sing for your own pleasure or a song for a specific function, you want a song that accentuates your strengths.For more suggestions of songs, you can explore Appendix A for a list of suggested songs for enhancing your singing technique. The songs cover different styles of music, from classical to country. After you choose the song you want to sing, check out Chapter 17 for some tips on how to conquer the song in a short amount of time.
Feeling comfortable with the music and text: In Chapter 18, you can explore acting to combine with your singing. Sounding good when you sing is great, but you want to sound good and understand the story behind the music. You don’t have to know anything about acting to explore this chapter; it’s all right there for you.
Overcoming performance anxiety: If your daydreams of singing are clouded with anxiety about singing in front of an audience, Chapter 19 is just for you. By confronting your fear and taking charge, you can make progress and let go of the anxiety. You only add pressure to your performance if you assume that you’re supposed to be totally calm. Many famous performers get nervous before a performance. After exploring Chapter 19, you’ll know that it’s fine to be nervous, but you can still sing while nervous.
Nailing your audition: So many singers dream of auditioning for a Broadway show or entering a singing competition that I wrote a whole chapter about auditioning your song. Chapter 20 has information for you on what to expect at the audition, what you may have to sing or do, and how to prepare for the audition. Because an audition for a musical is different from an audition for an opera, you want to know what’s kosher and what’s not.
Having Fun
Singing is about more than just alignment and technique — although, of course those considerations are important. If you concentrate only on the technical aspect of singing, you may end up singing from your head rather than your heart. Remember to let loose every once in a while and have fun with it!
Some performers are really amazing onstage — obviously having fun — and they also have great technique. Check out Chapter 21 to see whether any of your favorite singers made my list of performers with great technique. And if you want your performance to be spectacular, Chapter 24 has some great tips on performing like a pro. Before your big performance, check out Chapter 22 for answers to the most commonly asked questions about singing, and see Chapter 23 for information on keeping your voice healthy. Maintaining a healthy voice is important. Your vocal cords are really small, and you want to take good care of them. You can also read about medications and other factors that influence your singing voice. A healthy voice and solid technique will keep you singing for years to come.
The online tracks at www.dummies.com/go/singingfd3e that come with the book are a great tool to help you keep polishing your technique. The singers on the files have two things in common with you:
They all love singing.
They all have a group of exercises they use to keep their technique in tip-top shape.
You may think that only classical singers have a vocal workout routine, but that’s not true. Some famous singers even post videos of themselves practicing before they walk out on stage and sing their pop-rock tunes. Check out the different singers on the tracks that range from a rapper, belters, pop singers, musical theater performers, classical singers, and different voice types of all shapes and sizes to see if you can tell what style of music they perform.
You may be surprised that the type of singer isn’t always obvious just by listening to them warm up. Before and after recording the tracks, each singer laughed a lot and experienced the challenge of demonstrating a specific sound just for you.
Chapter 2
Determining Your Voice Type
IN THIS CHAPTER
Finding your voice type is a challenge because several ingredients combine to create a voice type. You don’t have to know your voice type if you’re singing for your own enjoyment, but you may be curious to find out. If you aspire to sing professionally or do some professional auditions, you definitely want to know your voice type. You’ll be asked at the audition, so you want to know that answer before someone asks. Chapter 20 has more info about auditions.
Determining your voice type — soprano or mezzo-soprano for women, tenor or bass for men — enables you to choose songs that are most appropriate for you. After you figure out what category you fit into, check out Appendix A for a list of songs suitable for your voice type. Read on to explore how each voice type sounds and how to determine where your voice fits.
Sifting through the Ingredients to Figure Out Your Voice Type
Think of a voice type as a series of ingredients mixed together to create a unique-tasting dessert. For singing, the ingredients combine to create a unique-sounding voice. The four common voice types are soprano, mezzo-soprano (often called mezzo), tenor, and bass (the next section, “Identifying the Fab Four,” tells you all about these four voice types). These five ingredients determine a voice type:
Age: Many singers are assigned a voice type as young singers, but voices change with age. The muscles in the larynx continue growing and developing into the early 20s. Think about the last time you made a phone call and heard the sound of a stranger’s voice. Even if you didn’t know the person on the other end, you could guess their age by listening to their speaking voice. Because speaking voices and singing